Kirstin’s recommendations 7.25.08

Though it feels more like a winter film, I picked up Lars and the Real Girl in the heat of summer. Thankfully, the evening cooled a bit as I and my viewing companion were warmed by the film’s unconventional and sincerely-told tale. Lars’ avoidance of human touch and interaction is cause for serious concern at the beginning of the film—for his family, his co-workers and his friends—as he becomes increasingly isolated in the winter landscape. His anti-social symptoms immediately disappear, however, when he self-medicates with a life-size “girlfriend” ordered from a web site that obviously intends the dolls for less respectful purposes. As he introduces his community to Bianca, the orchestrated response is surprising in its display of love and care for a brother whose hurt runs deep. The film’s muted indie aesthetic is just right as a background for a situation that is at once bizarre and hopefully normative.

MAGAZINE: Natural Home

Like many eco-home magazines, Natural Home reflects the eternal debate between expensive, effective technology and DIY solutions for cost-conscious homemakers, between the varying delights of eco-mansions and humble abodes with small footprints. It’s an important conversation and for the most part, the magazine does a good job of bridging the gap—or rather, dabbling on both sides of it. There are better publications for creative visual design ideas (though there are still many lovely photographs), but as an introduction to popular possibilities for a well-built home that lives in harmony with the world around it, Natural Home is a good resource, from the articles to the ads. Those who want more practical, everyday and sometimes radical solutions will probably prefer Mother Earth News (“the original guide to living wisely”) while those looking for more visual inspiration should check out Domino (“the guide to living with style”). Natural Home, with its claim of promoting “living wisely, living well,” is a good balance between the two and reading a few issues will expose some of the buzz words and ideas in the green building movement.